A collaboration between Professor Houk (UCLA) and Professor Aviyente (Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey) on modeling the stereoselective catalysis of the desymmetrization of meso compounds is proposed to the Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award. The goal of the parent project (GM-36700), entitled "Stereoselectivities of Synthetic Organic Reactions," is to develop computational methods to explore and predict stereoselective organic reactions. The specific aim of the FIRCA project, entitled "Stereoselective Catalysis of the Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Meso Compounds," is to understand the origins of the stereoselective nonenzymatic ring openings in the desymmetrization of meso cyclic anhydrides. The ultimate goal is to develop a theoretical understanding of the factors that control stereoselectivity and to predict new useful reactions of this type.